Shhhhh Quiet Please

It’s library Lovers’ month. That’s right, an entire month dedicated to anoraks like me who love libraries and everything about them.

I’ve ALWAYS loved libraries and can still remember my first one Mere Green Library clearly. There was a lady with brown straight hair and glasses and I can still hear the creak of the book as it opened and the stamp as my books were dated for my return. There were no computers, no barcodes and scanners, just rows and rows of wooden boxes which held the tickets. Over the years I’ve lived in many places and visited many libraries but my memories still go back to that first one and many happy hours spent there. Great for an introvert like me. (for those who disagree see Happy World Introvert Day )

As the world has moved on to kindles, I’ve stayed with real books. I’ve tried and tried to read electronic versions but it just hasn’t happened. To me, there’s just something so special about perusing the rows and rows of books, checking them out, taking them home then choosing which one to read first.

I always wanted to work in a library and used to practice by lining up my dolls and teddies and issuing them books with a ‘stamp’ which was a nail varnish bottle. Much later I ended up working in a library for a few years where I officially didn’t meet J.K. Rowling. The story of how I didn’t get to meet her is told here The day J.K. Rowling came to visit.

And those of you who think libraries are boring clearly haven’t read the Orkney Library Twitter page. It’s absolutely hilarious and another 37.4 thousand readers think so too. See here for some of the best ever #bookface entries on the internet. @OrkneyLibrary but laugh quietly please, you’re in a library.